1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a column switch for a vehicle and, in particular, to a column switch having a base on a steering wheel of an automobile that is integral with an on-vehicle rotary connector that makes electrical connection between the steering wheel and the steering column.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional column switch assembly having a rotary connector is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Preliminary Publication (KOKAI) No. 3-43053. This conventional column switch assembly includes a rotary connector having a spiral-coiled flat cable that makes electrical connection between a steering wheel of an automobile and a steering column, and a column switch having, for example, an operation lever for a direction indicator. The rotary connector and the column switch are separate items. The rotary connector has a lower housing secured on a base of the column switch and an upper housing secured to an underside of the steering wheel.
The conventional column switch assembly described above suffers from a problem that the base of the column switch and the housing of the rotary connector are separate items, requiring a large number of parts and man-hours for assembly. In addition, the construction requires a large mounting space.